Stopper-inserting process and apparatus



STOPPER-INSERTING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Filed Nov. 2, 1954 FIG. 6

"lug A INVENTQR VICTOR C. HALL i BY mz q flw ATTORNEYS FIG. 4

United States PatentO STOPPER-INSERTING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Victor C. Hall, Media, Pa., assignor to-Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey A pIication'November'Z, 1954, Serial-N0. 466,377 Claims. Cl. 226-92) This invention relates to the insertion of stoppers into bottles, vials, or like containers (hereinafter called vials), and has for its object the provision of an improved process and apparatus for this purpose. More particularly, the invention is concerned with the insertion of stoppers formed of resilient material which make a tight fit on being forced into the vial opening, for example, plastic stoppers formed of resinous material such as polyethylene, natural or synthetic rubber, or even cork. In order that the stopper shall make a tight fit with the vial and provide an air and moisture tight seal, it must either be oversize or have an oversize ring with respect to the vial opening.

Considerable difiiculties have been encountered heretofore in the insertion of stoppers by mechanical meansinto vials when the axis of the stopper is in axial alignment with the opening of the vial due primarily to the inability to properly align the stopper with the vial with theresult than an occasional stopper strikes the edge of a vial and breaks it with a resultant interruption of the operation. These difficulties and interruptions have increased appreciably with attempts to speed up the operations.

I have discovered a very simple and practical solution to the problem which notonly practically eliminates the misplacing of stoppers and breakages but enables the operation to be carried out mechanically at increased speed rates.

In accordance with my invention, I move the stopper into initial contact with the vial'opening while tilted at an acute angle from the vertical and also axially displaced so that an edge of the stopper enters the vial at one side thereof and then as the stopper is inserted it is turned in a rolling movement so that its axis moves into coincidence with the axis or" the vial as the stopper is pushed to its final inserted position. Advantageously, I set the stoppers with their axes at a small acute angle, say, from 5 to 20, with respect to the axes of the vials (preferably the vertical axes) and initially insert the stoppers into the vials in this position.

My invention provides an improved apparatus comprising means for holding the stoppers and moving them into alignment with the vials, and means for engaging the stoppers and tilting them until their axes are at an acute angle with respect to the axis of the vials as they engage the vials and then turn or roll the stoppers as they are being inserted to their final positions in the vials. In its preferred embodiment, the apparatus of my invention comprises a stopper inserting ram having a bearing head for engaging the stoppers and a projecting member which engages the stopper to one side of its top center, said member being yieldably retractable to a position flush with the head, whereby the projecting member on initial contact with the stopper tilts it at the acute angle but as the ram pushes the stopper into the vial with increasing opposition, the projecting member backs into the ram with an accompanying alignment of the stopper axis with the vial axis as the stopper is pushed to its final position.

My invention is advantageously applicable for use in ice combination with endless belt or chain vial filling apparatus in which the vials are inserted in individual buckets on the belt or chainand the filled vials are carried to the stopper-inserting position where they are momentarily stopped by a Geneva start and stop system, while the stopper is being inserted. Usually, a plunger engages one side of the vial and presses it against a two-point contact, while it is momentarily stationary to secure it in a rigid upright position and at this moment the improved stopper inserting ram of my invention engages'a stopper which is moved into position by a similar or other suitable interrupted feed system to insert the stopper. There after, the stoppered vial is removed from the conveyor and the operation is repeated.

These and other objects of my invention willbe better understood after considering the following discussion taken in conjunction with the accompanying-drawings, -in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary'plan view of vial stoppering apparatus for use in my invention with the stopper i'nserting ram omitted;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view at line 2-2 of-Fig. 1 showing the ram of my invention in operative position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar-to Fig. 2 at an intermediate position of the ram Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 in the final position of the ram;

Fig. -5 is a View of the ram'head from below, and Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the endless chain in the position when moving.

The apparatus illustrated in the drawings comprises'an endless chain 1 of considerable length and onwhich a multiplicity of vial carrying'lnembers 2, called buckets, are mounted. The chain carries the buckets and their contained vials V over a table (not shown) where operators till the vials. The chain is operated in interrupted movements by the Geneva system and carries the buckets 2 to the stoppeninsertingposition shown in the drawings where they are momentarily stopped. The chain travels in a more or less straight line to the stopper-filling position, as shown in Fig. 6, and is held in a taut state so that if the chain is pushed to one side it can spring back into its straight line.

The stoppers S are supported by their heads on the rails 3 and 4 and, as they reach the stopper-inserting position, they are transferred to the pivoted flap sections 6 and 7. The stoppers may be fed along the rails and onto. the sections 6 and 7 by any suitable means. The sections 6 and 7 are pivotally mounted by pins 8 and 9on the frame members 10 and 11 and are each held in their fiat upper position, as in Fig. l, by the coil springs 15 and 16.

Figs. 2 and 5 illustrate my improved stopper-inserting ram 1'7 in combination with the apparatus of Fig. 1. Figs. 2 to 5 show that the ram 17 comprises a head or capengaging portion 18 and a retractable member 19 therein having a projecting and depending blade 20 axially displaced towards one side of the head. The member 19 is held in the position shown in Fig. 2 by the coil spring 21 but can retract in the stopper-inserting stroke to the position shown in Fig. 4. The head 18 is connected to an operating rod 22 in any suitable manner and this rod is mechanically operated in synchronism with the Geneva system of the chain conveyor by known means.

The operation of the improved stopper-inserting device of the invention will be described in connection with the insertion of plastic stoppers S into vials V of the types illustrated, it being understood, however, that various types of stoppers of resilient material, proportioned to be inserted with a tight fit into the necks of various kinds of bottles or vials, may be used.- The stoppers S illus- 1 trated have a conventional head 23 and annular sealing rings 24 which are slightly larger in diameter than the inside of the vial.

As shown in Fig. 1, the chain 1 has stopped with the bucket 2 under the stopper supported on the sections 6 and 7. At this moment, a plunger 25 engages one side of the vial and in pushing against it pushes the bucket and chain out of alignment approximately one inch from the position shown in Fig. 6 until the bucket comes into contact with the rigid blocking member 26. This arrangement and position of the bucket and plunger 25 secure each vial in a rigid upright position at three bearing points, two in the bucket and one with the plunger. It will be noted with reference to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that the vial has reached a position with its vertical axis a slightly displaced to the right with respect to the vertical axis b of the stopper. At this position, the ram l7 moves downwardly and by reason of the location of the blade 20, the initial contact with the head of the stopper is at one side. As the ram continues downward the sections 6 and 7 yield, permitting the stopper to assume the tilted position shown in Fig. 3 as it is being inserted into the vial. It will be noted that the stopper makes initial contact with the inside of the vial at one side. As the ram continues downwardly and meets increased opposition to the insertion of the stopper, the retractable member 19 carrying the blade 20 retracts against the coil spring 21 until the blade is fiushwith the under surface of the ram head 13 at the time the stopper reaches its final position in the vial.

After the stopper has been inserted, the aforementioned Geneva system and means which synchronize the operations of the ram with the movement of the chain and the piston 25 result in the ram being retracted to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the piston 25 moved out of contact with the vial. The chain 1 springs back into alignment and moves another bucket to the stopper-filling position of Figs. 1 and 2, and the aforementioned operation is repeated. Conventional means not shown are also provided to remove each stoppered vial from its bucket.

I claim:

1. The process of inserting stoppers into vials which comprises mechanically moving a succession of filled vials to a stopper-inserting position and momentarily stopping each vial, mechanically moving a stopper to a position above the vial, tilting the stopper to an acute angle with respect to the axis of the vial and moving the stopper while so tilted and also axially displaced with respect to the axis of the vial into the vial, and as the stopper moves into the vial turning the stopper mechanically to bring its axis into coincidence with the axis of the vial when in its final position.

2. In the process of claim 1, inserting a stopper formed of resilient material at least a part of which is larger in diameter than the vial opening.

3. Apparatus for the insertion of stoppers into vials which comprises means for securing each vial momentarily in an upright position, a ram disposed above the vial having a head for engaging a stopper to force the stopper into the vial, a retractable member mounted in the ram and projecting beyond the head of the ram and positioned to engage the stopper to one side of its center axis, resilient means on the ram which urges the retractable member to its projecting position, and means to move said ram into engagement with the top of a stopper positioned above the vial, said retractable member engaging the stopper and pushing it into the vial at an acute angle but yieldably retracting as the stopper becomes finally inserted so that the entire head bears against the stopper.

4. A ram for forcing stoppers into vials which comprises a head for engaging the stoppers, a projecting member reciprocally mounted in the ram and projecting beyond the head and axially displaced to one side of the head, and means in the ram bearing on the projecting member which yields when the projecting member engages a stopper allowing the projecting member to retract and the head to bear against the stopper.

5. A ram according to claim 4 in which the projecting member is a blade proportioned and arranged to engage an area across a stopper to one side of its axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 743 Great Britain Apr. 7, 1858 

